Celebrating Ethan

Hard to believe that nine years can pass so quickly. Nine years ago Dano graduated from BYU’s MBA program and we moved to Midland. But most importantly it was nine years ago that our baby girl turned out to be a baby boy and Ethan joined our family. What a terrific young man he is turning into. Here are some of the qualifying factors to support that statement:

Ethan is a hard worker. He jumps right into his studies and strives for excellence in all he does. According to his teacher, he moved in and quickly took over the “top dog” position in his class, encouraging others to work just as hard.

Ethan never gives up if he gets something wrong. I am always amazed at his lack of frustration when presented with a challenge. It’s hard to be a super baseball player and attempt to learn the sport of cricket, a very popular sport in KSA and Britain. But Ethan would not be deterred and joined an afternoon club teaching the game and has worked hard to learn the game and plays well.
Ethan is creative. We have loved reading his works of art for several years now. The stories and ‘books’ he concocts are incredible which reflect his avid reading.

Ethan is enthusiastic. I think everyone who knows Ethan will attest to this one. He is just one of those people who loves life and everything about it. Though there are sometimes he needs to be reminded to keep the enthusiasm in check, at the same time, it is quite contagious and reminds me at times to lighten up and enjoy the journey.

Ethan is a devoted friend. We’ve often said of Ethan that the only stranger to him is the person he hasn’t yet met. Once you meet Ethan he makes you feel like a friend. During a cricket match, I watched as Ethan encouraged one of his friends who wasn’t playing well to keep his eye on him and he’d give him the sign when to run and when to stay on base. It was heart-warming to witness this kind of encouragement from one young boy to another.

Ethan is endlessly forgiving. He is quick to forget wrong-doings. One of the ‘top dogs’ he removed was upset and threatened by Ethan (according to Ethan’s teacher) and seemed to make it his goal in life to make Ethan miserable. Though Ethan would come home discouraged, not knowing why this kid would be badgering him, he kept trying to come up with responsive solutions. Eventually this boy realized Ethan was not going to retaliate and after weeks of needling he asked Ethan if they could just put it all behind them and be friends.

Ethan is a terrific athlete with a competitive spirit. This has been tricky for me…to try to control the competiveness without squelching it. I once looked up the word “competitive” and found an entry that read “having a strong desire to succeed.” After watching Ethan for years, we’ve decided that Ethan’s biggest competitor is himself. He finds it hard to settle for second best. Therein lies the fine line. If he can keep pushing himself for success, he’ll be able to accomplish anything. His sporting abilities are endless and diverse. He would have a difficult time narrowing down which sport is his favorite. He is adept at football, basketball, baseball, swimming, running, and soccer. It’s always an enjoyable experience to watch him and play with him.

Ethan is a great brother. Whether it’s staying up nights talking and giggling with Erin, daily taking Abby to the park (heat rarely bothers these two), or discussing books with Kennedy, Ethan is a very thoughtful brother who is quick to do a kind deed to surprise a sister.

Ethan is growing strong in the gospel. From the boy who a couple of years ago kindly and coolly stood up to friends defending the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon to the boy who, while waiting for Dad in a meeting, wrote a missionary lesson/testimony on the wipeboard at church, Ethan continues to build and strengthen his love of Jesus Christ and His gospel.
To celebrate his birthday we decided not to have a traditional Saudi birthday party; that the funds would be put to better use such as a college education. He had a few friends over to swim and bbq the day before. Ethan was very excited that a birthday absolves you from wearing your uniform to school. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at On the Border where we are treated like celebrities. We concluded his big day with cake and presents, of course. For those of you who may not know, Ethan has always been a devout Michigan fan which is not that easy when you live in Ohio. I was worried when he got on the bus as a little kindergartener on school game shirt day sporting his blue and yellow. But, as usual, he held his own and was not deterred by the teasings.

Unfortunately he informed me a few days before his birthday that he’d switched his dream of playing for the Wolverines to going to BYU or the Air Force Academy. Regardless, he completely loved his cake and a part of him will bleed blue and yellow for a long time to come.